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Wet Cement
Doug
2/17/2001
Anyone have the scoop on Orius Corp?, I hear they are sniffing around New England, would like some feed back concerning this, I know very little about the company structure but it sounds to me as if they are another power broker buying into primes, cleaning out managment and then dropping prices, I have picked up very little concerning this issue and my comments are puerly speculartary, does anyone have any information concerning this, I just went through the same deal with a prime, and they have since lost many good people due to policy changes, is this the future of the CATV industry??
onecableman
2/17/2001
Steve F. a few weeks ago I'd agreed with you but now unfortunately I don't. I believe that by going ahead with the upgrades AT&T would have been able to offer more services (more CATV channels, internet service, & phone service) which in return would increase the amount of money they could charge there customers monthly. Instead they shut down all the upgrades increased my cable bill from $81/month to $92/month and took away 4 of my pay channels. Still AT&T increased my bill and didn't offer anything in return. Why should we continue to make the rich richer, while they are making the poor poorer? Invest in Comcast, Cox, and TWC so they can be in a better spot to get AT&T out of Cable. AT&T out of Cable, Don’t that have such a nice ring to it…???…
August Muscatelli
2/17/2001
HI All First time here in the cement, I need some help. I've only been splicing for a year now. I feel that I do a good job, that is my work looks good and at the end of the day when I get RF and AC, it plays. I enjoy this work and I like doing things right. I'm ready to go to the next level and become a sub. The company that I work for in house is real iffy about letting me stay on with them as a sub. I just rented a new bucket van from baker, need to find work for it so I can make that wonderful payment. Anyone have some GOOOOD advice. I've looked in the Bar haven't found much action there. I know some people working for Mastec in Plilly, but can't seem to get a hold of any of them. I know there's a lot of work going on in Pa. If anyone can help direct me to it I would appreciate. Thanks!
Mark A. Pickrell
2/17/2001
Get AT&T out of cable? Wow, you must have powerful friends. Myself, I believe that AT&T has gotten a rough deal from a majority of the contractors that I have seen or been on the sites! The contractor's have given AT&T less than professional work. I speak from the splicing, sweep & Certification end and only on the sites where I have been! So, my opinion is not in other States or site I have not been. I believe that AT&T is looking for the "Professional Contractor" that can manage the "Turnkey operations" with honest, professional work. As a prior employee of TCI, a subcontractor and now an employee to a great Prime Contractor. I have seen a lot of things going on out there that many of you out there "know" should not be going on! I spoke a long time ago about a "Contractors Union" or some way of "those of us out here that want to do an honest, professional job" can link together to make the Contracting world a better place! It never happened and probably wont. Why? I would say because there really is very few out there that is really interested in "doing the job right" or giving the MSO an honest day work for an honest days pay! Many just want to go out there and continue doing "their thing"! Wake up people! "Those days are over"! Move over please! The Honest, professional are "On Their way in"!!!!!!!!! Those of you that wish to continue in this business??????? I suggest you "Sharpen your skills, sharpen your knowledge, sharpen your lives up" and get with the program!!!!!!!!!! OR be left behind in the dust!!!!!!! I know many with disagree with me and most likely CURSE me for the things I'm saying...... I guess for those that CURSE me for what I am saying.....here is a WAMULANCE for you! "Mark" my words again.....We are in the year 2001 "The beginning of the NEW age of Contractors"!!!!!!! Get with the program!!!!!!
SplicerLife4me
2/17/2001
bermuda is an island?!! well hog tie me and pour molases over my toes and cover me with ants! hahhahahahahahha
Steve Faulkner
2/17/2001
Doug Orius is a holding company that is half owned by an investment co. They own about 15-20 other companies like Channel, Cablemasters, etc. I guess the idea is to combine alot of the redundant functions in the companies to bring out value, and the big payoff for the investors is when the company goes public, which Orius has not been able to do yet. I would imagine the problem with Orius and others of its ilk is that most of the companies they bought were founded and run by old dogs who ran the business well and were smart enough to sell out at the top. Now the Large primes are affected by the whims of the investment community. An old dog owner will know how to ride the storm out and who to keep around until times get better. Now that accoutants run the big primes I would imagine muscle gets cut as well as fat. I have never subbed for Orius or their subsidiaries, so I don't know any specifics.
SplicerLife4me
2/17/2001
onecableman the disagreement came with me not agreeing with your reasoning about everyone lowering prices because of att. no hard feelings at all. if i use the term 'moron' or 'idiot' dont take it to heart. its just a word. i use those words for lack of better ones. i can respect someones opinions just as long as i am given the same respect for mine, not to be lashed out at.
Doug
2/17/2001
I have to agree with you Mark, sub-standard work is just that, be it a major MSO or a ma & pa you have to do a good job, and there a lot of "hackers" out there that give us all a bad name, and this concerns ALL phases of a operation, be it missing bonds in construction or lose fittings at the splicing level, it all gets kicked back, most people I have ever encountered concerning a project that they lost money on is because of all the clean up that got left behind, the MSO's spend millions of dollars to design and build these systems and they are not as dumb as a lot of people think, you can't fly through and suck up all the gravy any more, if it does happen the prime is to blame for lack of job coordination, and most of all QC, if you don't watch your men, if you don't gig and kick back poor quaity work on a daily basis, your going to get a 2" thick QC package dropped in your lap by the MSO, the contracters are gone that did the work, and the prime eats it, can you say "in the red?" hey I don't care if your putting some steps on the front of my house, I am not going to pay you untill the job is done right, there are few people left out there that have pride in their work, my biggest problem with clean up steams from the 1,2 year know it alls that are going for the all mighty dollar, they have no concept of pride, or workman ship, they are thinking about Fridays check not where they are going to be in 5 years, and this hurts us all.
SplicerLife4me
2/17/2001
mark! dude! hows the south treatin' ya?! ok, pleasentries over. att has gotten this bad rap from contractors because att asked for it. att is looking for cheap labor and guess what? they found it! att is notorious for lowballing contracts and they have reaped what they have sown? sewn?. anywho, you get the idea. you're absolutely right about this tho, it is 2001 and things are changing...daily. att needs to change their attitude. this has been a public service anouncement, brought to you by the CableLand Railway...the opinions stated in this anouncement do not neccessarily reflect the opinion of CableLand Railway.
Gary Vest
2/17/2001
Amen, Doug!